


Midnight Kisses

by southsidewrites



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Angst, Drabble, Drabble Collection, Established Relationship, F/M, First Kiss, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Love, New Year's Eve, New Year's Fluff, New Year's Kiss, New Years, One Shot Collection, POV First Person, Reader-Insert, Romance, Short & Sweet, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, serpent friendships, southside serpents
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-31
Updated: 2019-01-01
Packaged: 2019-10-01 15:12:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 7,333
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17246474
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/southsidewrites/pseuds/southsidewrites
Summary: A collection of New Year's drabbles featuring Sweet Pea, Fangs Fogarty, Reggie Mantle, Archie Andrews, and Bughead all ending with a midnight kiss.





	1. Sweet Pea: “I think it’s already 2019 where Sweet Pea is.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for checking this out, and enjoy!
> 
> If there's a certain character you're interested in, each chapter title begins with the character or pairing. If it's not a couple name, it's character x reader.
> 
> Starter Credit: http://stewartgifhunts.tumblr.com/post/136338257119/new-years-starters

I looked down at my phone with a sigh.  **“I think it’s already 2019 where Sweet Pea is.”**

Fangs gave me a hard look. “No, no, no, no.  None of that bullshit tonight.  It’s New Year’s Eve, and you’re not allowed to mope.”

Looking around the party, I just couldn’t help it.  All the Serpents and quite a few non-Serpents had packed into Thistlehouse, and everyone seemed to be having an awesome time.  Cheryl and Toni had gone all out with decorations, and there was enough champagne to keep the party going all night.  Everyone was there—everyone, that is, but Sweet Pea.  His job didn’t usually require travel, but when it did, it was almost always at the worst possible times.

“I’m an adult, and I’ll mope if I want to.”

“Fine, be that way, but at least be drunk while you’re doing it.” Fangs handed me another drink, this one fruitier and more colorful than the last.  Then, he gave me a soft look. “C’mon, dude.  It’s New Year’s.  Sweet Pea wouldn’t want you to sit around and mope just because his flight got delayed a few hours.”

I scoffed. “Easy for you to say, Fogarty.  You’ll have someone to kiss at midnight.”

He tried to bite back a smile, but Kevin happened to catch his gaze from across the room, and Fangs couldn’t help it. “I’m sure you could get—uh—um—maybe Hot Dog?”

I groaned and took a huge sip of my drink. “Seeing as literally everyone else in this town has a date, and my boyfriend’s stranded in some backwoods Canadian airport under a mountain of snow, that may be my only option.”

Behind us, in the living room, the chatter had picked up.

“Get in here, you guys!” Kevin called. “The ball’s going to drop in like three minutes.”

Fangs gave my hand one last squeeze and went to join his boyfriend. “Try to have at least a little fun, okay?”

I rolled my eyes, taking another sip of my drink before pouring it out.  Seeing as I couldn’t have any fun, I may as well volunteer to drive.  Trying to plaster on a semi-realistic smile, I joined everyone in the living room where they were all crowding around the TV.  Everyone really was coupled-off, aside from a few of the newest Serpents.

The countdown seemed to tick by in slow motion, and I felt like I was watching the scene more than I was living it.  Around me, everyone was laughing, drinking, kissing, and cheering.  They all had on silly sparkly hats and tiaras, and there were more than a few goofy 2019 glasses.  There were party horns, whistles, and noisemakers.  All I could focus on, though, was how alone I felt. 

I had never cared much about New Year’s, had always taken it for granted that I would get to kiss Sweet Pea at midnight. 

10…9…8…7…6…5…4…

“Jeez, what’s got you in a mood?”

The voice snapped me out of my daze. “Sweet Pea?”

He was still wearing his coat.  Still covered in snow, red-faced and smiling. “You didn’t really think I’d miss New Year’s, did you?”

…3…2…1…

Before I could react, he was pulling me in for a kiss, his lips cold against mine.  We broke apart a moment later, and I couldn’t help but laugh.

“How’d you get here in time?”

“Don’t worry about it, babe.  Happy New Year.” 


	2. Reggie: “Okay, we have six parties to hit before we decide which one we want to be at when it gets to midnight.”

**“Okay, babe, we have six parties to hit before we decide which one we want to be at when it gets to midnight.”**

I gaped at my boyfriend, my jaw dropping slightly. “Reggie, it’s already 5:30, how on Earth are we going to get to six different parties?  Also, how were you invited to six different parties?  I was only invited to one.”

“Well, technically, I was invited to four, you were invited to one, and there’s one really good one that looks like it might be worth crashing.”

“Seriously?” I gave him a skeptical look. “And whose is that?”

“Veronica Lodge.”

“You _weren’t_ invited to Veronica’s party?  Really?”

“Really and truly, babe.  I think she’s still a little awkward about that time we dated for like four seconds back in high school after we broke Archie out of juvie.”

“I’m going to pretend that sentence isn’t batshit insane and move on.  How are we going to get to six parties in six hours?”

“Are you kidding?  That’s plenty of time.  Forty-five minutes at each party with fifteen minutes in-between as travel time.”

“And I take it you already have the order mapped out?” I asked, raising my eyebrows.

He grinned. “Of course, I do, babe.  We’re going to move in a geographic pattern across town, and I’ve already got the Ubers pre-ordered and everything.”

“Wow, um, okay, I guess you really have covered everything, then.”  I sighed, steeling myself for the chaos the night was sure to bring. “So, which party are we heading to first?”

“Kevin’s.”

“Alrighty, then.  Let’s do this.”

* * *

 

I was reaching for a bottle of vodka to make another drink when suddenly Reggie’s hand was around my wrist. “No, not now, we have to go!”

“What the hell?” I yanked my wrist free. “What are you talking about?”

“It’s almost 7:30,” he nearly shouted, re-gripping my wrist and yanking me toward the door. “The whole schedule’s off, and we need to move!”

“Woah, woah, woah, freeze, dumbass.  I’m not going to storm out without at least saying goodbye to Kevin.”

“Fine, but _hurry_.” He flew out of the house, already frantically texting.

Rolling my eyes, I made my way back to the kitchen where Kevin was making drinks. “Hey, Kev, hate to do this, but I have to head out a bit early.  My dearest boyfriend has committed us to like six parties tonight.”

“No problem, girl,” Kevin laughed, pulling me into a hug. “Have fun, and enjoy your New Year’s kiss with Mr. Magnificent.”

I rolled my eyes. “Will do.  Tell Joaquin I said bye, okay?”

“Will do—see you next year!”

“See you next year,” I laughed.

I walked out into the snowy street where Reggie was already waiting inside an Uber. “C’mon, babe, let’s go.  Party number two is waiting.”

* * *

 

“Good to see you too, sir,” Reggie said, greeting a man wearing a suit that cost more than our apartment. “Be sure to send your wife my love.”

“Reggie, what the hell?” I murmured, trying to hide behind him to cover how underdressed I was. “Why did you say yes to a black-tie event?”

“Kind of had to,” he shrugged. “Look, shots!” He snagged two shot glasses off the tray of a passing server and handed one to me. “To 2019!”

I downed the shot and glared as he grinned at me.

“And there we have it, let’s bail.”

“Reginald Mantle, we can not run into your parent’s house, take a shot, and bail!”

“We can, and we are, onwards to the next party!”

All I could do was groan as he dragged me through the throng of people and back onto the street.

* * *

"C’mon, babe, it’s the last party, and there’s like three minutes until midnight, we’re going to make it!” Reggie said, frantically climbing out of the car and onto the street in front of the last house. “We’re so close!”

Tiredness and frustration seemed to be seeping through every cell of my being.  What was supposed to be a nice, easy holiday had turned into the marathon from hell, and I was over it.  I trudged onto the cold street and looked up at the house, my eyes narrowing in confusion.

“Reg, this isn’t Moose’s house,” I said plainly.

“Wait, what?” he snapped, looking up suddenly. “Shit, you’re right—the Uber must have—” He yanked his phone out of his pocket, typing rapidly. “Fuck, there’s no way we’re going to make it now.”

I let out a slow sigh of relief and took a step toward him.  Reggie’s face had dropped, and he looked about ready to collapse into the snow.  Gently, I wrapped my arms around him.

“Hey, Reg.”

“Yeah?”

“You know who I want to spend New Year’s with?”

“Who?”

I glanced down at his phone right in time to see the 11:59 change to 12:00.  “You, you dumbass.” I kissed him deeply, holding myself tight against him and smiling into the kiss when he finally seemed to relax. “Happy New Year, Reggie.”

“I love you so much, babe,” he sighed, cupping my cheek. “Thanks for putting up with me.”

“Anytime.” I looked up at him with a smile. “Next year, though, we’re only going to one party, and it’s not going to be your parents’.”

“Deal.”


	3. Reggie: “No firecrackers this year. The neighbors complained.”

“No, Reggie, I said **no firecrackers this year.  The neighbors complained.”**

“But babe, I—”

“No!”

“What if I—”

“No!”

“Even if—”

“Absolutely not.  Reggie, you almost burned the house down last year, and the neighbors threatened to call the cops when one hit their mailbox.  We’re not going through that again.  This place is too nice, and we’ll never afford another one like it if you ruin it.”

“Beautiful, wonderful, sweetheart, babe, my one true love,” he drawled, pulling me into a hug. “One little firecracker isn’t going to hurt anyone.”

“And I’d believe that if I didn’t see the massive stockpile you hid under our bed last week.  You know I keep shoes under there, right?”

“Shit, I thought you wouldn’t see that.”

“Well, I did, and I don’t trust you for crap.”

“But, babe, it’s our first time hosting a real New Year’s Eve party, and the firecrackers are literally a necessity.”

“And you are _literally_ the most dramatic person I’ve ever met.”

“So not even one?”

“Not even one.”

* * *

 

The party was going off without a hitch.  Almost everyone we invited was able to come, dinner turned out great, and there was plenty of booze to go around.  I was just starting to think that I had managed to keep Reggie under control when suddenly, around 11:55, I realized that he and Moose had disappeared.

“Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me.” I set my glass down hard, earning a shocked look from Archie and Veronica.  Slipping on shoes, I stormed outside right in time to see the sky explode in colorful fire.  Reggie and Moose were standing there, each holding a lighter in one hand and high-fiving with the other. 

Calling it a firecracker would have been the understatement of the century.  What Reggie was lighting off could only be described as small fireworks.

“Reginald Marcus Mantle, what the hell are you doing?”

He and Moose turned to me, their matching shit-eating grins dropping.

“Hey, babe,” he replied with a grin, holding the lighter behind his back. “What brings you out here?”

My jaw dropped, and all I could do was point at the pile of unlit fireworks at their feet. “Again, what the hell are you doing?”

“Celebrating 2019?”

“Reggie, if you light off another firework, I can promise you that you won’t make it to 2019.”

Suddenly, my gaze was ripped away from him when I heard the tell-tale crackle of a firework being lit.  I turned just in time to see the bright red stick go flying out of Moose’s hand and soar into the air.  Then, it exploded, and as the embers started drifting down with the snow, everything started moving in slow motion.  The massive, fiery, red-hot ball of destruction was falling directly toward the neighbor’s mailbox, and it was clear that there was nothing we could do to stop it.

It hit with a thunk, denting the metal surface and falling harmlessly into the snow.

There was a collective sigh from Reggie, Moose, and me when it hit.

“Moose,” I said, my voice low.

His voice came out surprisingly small for such a big man. “Yeah?”

“Go fix that, now.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Shaking my head, I turned back to Reggie.  He grinned and wrapped his arm around me. “See, that wasn’t too bad.” His phone started going off, and he smiled wider. “And look, it’s midnight, any chance I get a kiss?”

“Go kiss Moose.”

He laughed and kissed me on the cheek, jogging off to join his friend. “Wouldn’t be the first time!”


	4. Fangs: “What are you doing out here on the roof? The party’s inside.”

I let my eyes drift shut as I took in the fresh, wet smell of the night air.  It was unseasonably warm for Riverdale in December, and the roof was barely even wet from melted snow.  Sighing, I leaned back on the rough surface and looked up at the stars.

**“What are you doing out here on the roof?  The party’s inside.”**

I sat up with a start to see Fangs climbing out of the small window and onto the roof with me.  He was a lot bigger than me, so it took him a bit to get through the window, and when he did, he sat down with a sigh.

“Seriously, what are you doing out here?”

I shrugged.  Fangs and I had been best friends since sixth grade, since we just stupid kids with braces and way too many silly bandz.  Normally, I could confide in him about anything, anything, that is, expect the massive crush I had on him.

“So, are you going to talk to me or not?  Because if not, it’s cold as shit out here, and Kevin’s been giving me looks all night, and—”

“Wait, fine, yes, I’ll talk to you,” I sputtered, nearly grabbing him to keep him from going inside. “Please stay.”

“Yeah, of course.  What’s up?”

“I—I just—” I froze, the words so close to escaping my throat, so close to becoming reality. “You see, there’s this guy.”

His eyebrows nearly shot off his forehead. “A guy, who?  Spill, dude, now.”

I rolled my eyes, smiling fondly. “Just some guy, you don’t know him, and it’s like the long-shot of a century.”

“Is he here, like, tonight?”

“Mhm.” It was a big enough party that I could get away with hinting, and he’d almost certainly never put it together.

“Well, shit, we need to get you two together by New Year’s then—haven’t you always said you’d love to have someone to kiss?”

“Well yeah, but—”

“But nothing.  We have like two minutes, and I’m going to make this happen for my best friend.” He started standing, trying to pull me to my feet with him. “C’mon, let’s go.”

“Fangs, wait!” I snapped, forcibly sitting back down. “It’s not like that, you see, it’s—it’s—”

“It’s what?” he asked, looking down at me. “Spit it out.”

“It’s you!”

“Oh, I…um…” He sat back down, running his hand through his hair. “That’s, uh…”

“I know, I know, it’s horrible and awkward, and I never should have even said it because now I’ve ruined New Year’s and probably our whole friendship, and—”

At first, I didn’t realize he was kissing me.  Then, I snapped back into my senses and kissed back.  His lips were hot against mine as he pulled me tight against him.  Everything else faded into nothing, and all I could feel was the way our bodies seemed to be melting together.  Then, he broke away just as we heard cheers erupting from inside the house.

“Happy New Year,” he whispered, his forehead still resting on mine.

“But—I—what?”

He chuckled, pressing another soft kiss into my lips. “You don’t know how long I’ve been waiting to do that.”

“I have an idea.” Wrapping my arms around his shoulders, I kissed him again.  My stomach erupted in butterflies, and I had a distinct feeling that 2019 was going to be our best year yet.


	5. Archie: “And to think, Archie, this time last year I was dating you.”

**“And to think, Archie, this time last year I was dating you.”**

Archie scoffed and took another sip of his beer. “This time last year was the first day you were dating me.”

“The whole midnight kiss thing was pretty damn romantic,” I mused, taking a sip from my champagne.   I bit my lip nervously. “Too bad you had to go and fuck it all up.”

“C’mon, that’s so not fair,” he said sternly, setting down his beer to give me a look. “We were on a break, and you know it.”

“Okay, fine, we were.  But while I was sitting around pining for you, you were having rebound sex with Veronica.”

He bit back a groan, trying not to roll his eyes. “Sorry that I express my emotions differently than you.”

“Yeah, yeah, you’re right.  I tend to express my emotions with words or writing or too much ice cream, not my genitals.”

“Well, well, well, isn’t this delightfully tense,” Kevin drawled, walking up behind us and wrapping an arm around each of our shoulders.  The smell of alcohol was thick on his breath. “I think the two of you need more to drink.”

“I think you need less to drink,” I countered, slipping out of his grasp.

“C’mon, guys, can’t we all just be friends?”

I gave Archie a hard look, ignoring the fact that he almost looked sad. “No, I guess we can’t.  Archie and I have proved we’re not too good at that.”

Archie shouldered Kevin aside and stood in front of me. “Please, can we talk about it?”

“Now?  Seriously?  You want to talk about it _now_?  One year after the day you made me the happiest fucking girl in the world, and less than a month after you broke my fucking heart?  No thanks, Andrews.” I shoved past him and into the crowd of people.  The music was loud, so loud that I could feel the bass thudding through my entire body.  My head was starting to hurt, and I kind of wanted to sneak off and cry. 

It’s not like I was going to be kissing anyone at New Year’s anyway.

I found a bathroom and pulled the door shut behind me.  We were just minutes away from the New Year, and the last thing I wanted to see was everyone kissing.  Just as they started counting down, though, the door slammed open, and I was greeted by a very desperate Archie.

“Look, I know I’m a dick, and I know I screwed up, but I just can’t do this anymore.  I can’t pretend not to love you.”

“What the hell, Archie?” I was going to try to fight my way past him, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it.

“I love you.  Seriously, I love you more than anyone, and I’m not letting us start the New Year on a bad note.”

My jaw dropped, and I looked up at him. “Seriously?”

“Seriously.” He took a deep breath. “And it sounds like we’re just seconds away from New Years, so what do you say?  Will you kiss me?”

My heart was racing, and even though all my common sense was telling me not to, I wanted nothing more than to kiss him.

“You know what, Archie, I will.” I covered the space between us in a few steps, grabbing the front of his shirt and pulling him close for a kiss. “I love you, Archie.”

“I love you, too.  Happy New Year, babe.”

I laced my fingers with his, resting my head on his chest as he wrapped me in his arms. “No more breaks, okay?”

“Wouldn’t dream of it.”


	6. Sweet Pea: “To 2019. May it not totally fuck us in the ass.”

“Oh, come on, Sweet Pea,” I laughed, trying to hold my drunk boyfriend upright on his barstool. “2018 wasn’t that bad.”

“Are you kidding?” he drawled, downing another sip of cheap champagne.  “2018 absolutely blowed.  We had a Cheeto for president, there was _another_ royal wedding, all those Thai kids got stuck in a cave, and Brexit happened.”

“Do you even know what Brexit is?” I asked, trying not to roll my eyes.

“Well, not entirely, but I heard it’s a big-ass deal over there.”

“Okay, sure, but you do know all the Thai kids got out, right?  And I really don’t see what’s wrong with a royal wedding.” I wasn’t about to argue about the Cheeto.

“Whatever.” He waved me off and signaled Toni for another drink. “I’m just saying—2019 better be better than 2018.”

I grabbed his waist and pulled him close for a kiss. “Well, I can think of a few pretty awesome parts of 2018.”

“Like what?”

“Well, for one, we moved in together.” I kissed him lightly on the cheek. “And we got out of Sunnyside Trailer Park.”

“I suppose those are pretty cool.”

“You also got that new job, and we both graduated.”

“All good things.”

“So, yeah, I think 2019 will be off to a pretty good start.” I smiled softly and looked up just as the countdown started on the Wyrm’s TV screens.

Sweet Pea and I started counting down, and then it hit zero.  The whole bar erupted into cheers, and Sweet Pea pulled me in close for a kiss.  As he pulled back, he smirked.

 **“** **To 2019. May it not totally fuck us in the ass,”** he said, lifting his drink for a toast.

All I could do was laugh as I toasted him. “May it totally not fuck us in the ass.”


	7. Archie: “You’re crazy. That place is always a zoo on New Year’s.”

“C’mon, babe, please, please, please can we go?” I begged, holding Archie’s arm and putting on my sweetest puppy dog face. “It’s the best place in all of Riverdale.”

“Yeah, and it’s owned by my ex,” he replied, tugging his arm out of my grasp.

“So?  It’s not like you’re going to run into her there—you know how busy it gets.”

“That may be true, but it’s almost a guarantee that I’ll run into her.  That’s just my luck, babe.”

 **“You’re crazy, Archie.  That place is always a zoo on New Year’s.** There’s no way you see her.”

“Wanna bet?”

“Depends, what are we betting?”

He smirked, running his hand through his hair as he thought about his response. “How about plans for next year?”

My lips pursed. “What do you mean?”

“New Year’s next year.  If _I’m_ right, and we do run into Veronica, we spend next year doing what _I_ want—ice fishing on Crystal Lake with my dad.  If _you’re_ right, and we don’t see her, we can go to whatever insane club you want.”

I bit my lip as I pondered my options.  While I would love not to have the same argument next year, the thought of being cooped up in an ice shanty with the Andrews men for a whole night made me want to rip my hair out.  I exhaled slowly and held out my hand to shake his. “Fine, it’s a bet.” 

He shook my hand and grinned widely. “It’s a bet.”

* * *

 

When we got to the Speakeasy, the music pounding through the speakers was so loud that I could feel it radiating through every part of me, and I loved it.  I quickly got us drinks and met Archie in a corner where he was talking to Reggie and Josie.

“See babe, I told you it would be fun,” I shouted over the music as I handed him his beer.

“Yeah, fun,” he scoffed.

I grinned and took a sip of my drink. “Lighten up, Arch.  It’s New Year’s—have some fun.”

He rolled his eyes and took a sip of his drink, and before long, I managed to drag him onto the dance floor with me.  Archie finally started getting into it, holding my hips as we moved to the music.  His lips brushed against my ear.

“You look so fucking good in that dress, babe.”

“Maybe I’ll even let you take it off later,” I murmured, pulling him down to me for a kiss.  As soon as we broke apart, though, my jaw dropped.

“What is it?” Archie asked, turning around.  Then, he started laughing.

“Archie Andrews!”

“Hey, Veronica,” he replied, greeting her with a friendly hug. “You remember my girlfriend, right?”

“Of course!” She pulled me into a hug, and I was amazed by how good she still looked. “So good to see you!”

“You too!” I replied, doing my best to feign excitement. “It’s been so long.”

“It really has.” She grinned, and then someone else called her name. “Well, have a good time tonight, guys!”

“Thanks,” I forced out through a fake smile.

As soon as she was gone, Archie turned to face me.  He was smiling so hard it looked like his face might split.

“Well, well, well, it looks like I just won our bet.”

I let out a long groan.

* * *

 

“Alright, it’s almost time!” Fred said excitedly, his breath leaving a misty cloud in the cold air.

“And we still haven’t caught a damn thing,” I muttered under my breath, pulling my coat tighter around myself and snuggling in closer to Archie.

Archie grinned and kissed the top of my thick, woolen hat. “Three, two, one…Happy New Year, babe!”

I rolled my eyes and allowed him to kiss me, amazed by how warm his lips felt in the cold shanty. “Happy New Year, Archie.”

“So, how do you feel about making another bet?”

“Not a chance, Andrews.”


	8. Sweet Pea: "No champagne for me. Designated driver."

I sighed and leaned against the counter, taking another sip of my Coke.  Despite telling myself over and over again that I didn’t need to drink to have fun, this New Year’s Eve party was probably the worst yet.

Of course, that probably had a lot more to do with the fact that Reggie had only dumped me a week earlier, and now he was making out with Josie across the room from me.

“You know parties are supposed to be fun, right?”

I looked up to see Sweet Pea.  I barely knew the tall Serpent, and my only real knowledge of him was that he was good friends with Fangs and Toni.  Of the three of them, he was the one who seemed to care the least about making friends with Northsiders.

“What are you talk about?” I asked, trying to smile. “Do I not look like I’m having fun?”

He leaned on the other side of the counter, putting himself at eye level with me. “You look like you’re about to fall asleep on the counter, and while it may be—” He checked his phone for the time. “11:55, most people tend to stay up until at least midnight on New Year’s Eve.”

I smiled for real now, tucking my hair behind my ear. “Don’t worry—I’ll make it another five minutes.”

He smirked back, holding up his red solo cup filled with champagne. “Do you at least have a drink?”

**“No champagne for me.  Designated driver.”**

“Is that a self-imposed title?”

“Not technically,” I drawled, taking another sip of my soda. “But Kevin was about to make us draw straws, so I just volunteered.  I figured that it was only fair seeing as I probably wasn’t going to have any fun anyway.”

He gave me a skeptical look, and I snapped my mouth shut, realizing I’d absolutely said too much to a virtual stranger.  A hot virtual stranger who almost certainly didn’t want to hear about my latest relationship woes at a New Year’s Eve Party.

“So, tell me,” he said, his lips curving into an amused smile. “Why weren’t you going to have fun anyway?”

I didn’t answer, but I couldn’t help my eyes from flashing to Reggie.  Sweet Pea must have noticed because he nodded knowingly. “Yeah, I heard about that.  I didn’t know you were the one Reggie was dating, though.”

“Apparently, neither did he.”

He scoffed, indicating that he felt he liked Reggie about as much as I did.

“You know what would be a great way to get back at him?” he asked. 

Suddenly, my stomach was full of butterflies. “What?”

“Kissing his least favorite person in the school at midnight.”

“Oh really?” I laughed, feeling my face heat up in a blush. “And who might that me?”

“Me, of course.” He looked down at his phone again. “And we have about a minute until midnight, so what do you say?” Smiling, he held out his hand across the island.

I couldn’t help but smile back as I took his hand in mine. “Let’s do it.”

Grinning, he led me out into the middle of the crowded living room.  When Reggie saw us, his face twisted into some sort of angry expression.

…3…2…1…

Sweet Pea pulled me close to him, pressing his lips into mine as I gripped his shoulders.  My heart started racing as his lips parted mine, and I couldn’t think about anything other than the perfect feeling of his lips hot and gentle against mine.  As the room burst into cheers, we broke apart, our smiles matching each other.

“You know, that may have started as a way to piss Mantle off, but I kind of don’t want it to end that way,” he said, his hands not moving from my waist.

“Me neither.”


	9. Sweet Pea: “It’s New Year’s. Aren’t we supposed to be making out?”

It was New Year’s Eve, and the Whyte Wyrm was absolutely packed.  From wall to wall, the bar was full of Serpents of all ages wearing sparkly 2019 hats and drinking cheap champagne.   I was spending it behind the bar, though, having been suckered into working the midnight shift by a very desperate-looking Hog Eye.

“C’mon, girl,” Toni whined, “can’t you just have one drink?  One glass of champagne?”

“Maybe one,” I conceded, grabbing the bottle and pouring a small amount into a solo cup. “Seeing as Hog Eye’s way too drunk to care.”

She scoffed. “As if he ever cares—you’re way too good.” She lifted her own cup, and we toasted.  After taking a sip, she smiled at me. “So, try to have at least a little fun tonight, okay?”

I shrugged. “I’m sure it’ll be fine.  We’re still closing at two, and then I’ll come back to your place.”

“Good, you better.” She gave me a hard look. “Do not let Hog Eye sucker you into cleaning up, too.”

“I won’t.  I promise.”

She gave me another skeptical look before nodding. “I’m holding you to that.” After another pointed look, she turned to walk back into the crowd of people.

I finished off my champagne as I poured a handful of drinks, and just as I started to pour myself another, I felt arms wrapping around my waist.  “Hey, Pea.”

“Hey, beautiful,” he murmured, kissing the back of my neck. **“It’s New Year’s.  Aren’t we supposed to be making out?”**

Laughing, I turned around to face him, using his shoulders to pull myself to his height for a kiss. “You always want to be making out.”

“True,” he admitted, kissing me again. “ _But_ , on New Year’s, it’s basically required at midnight.”

“Oh, is it now?”

“Mhm.” He grinned. “Practically a law.”

“Well, there’s still like three minutes to midnight, so what the hell are you doing behind the bar?”

“Couldn’t resist, beautiful.  The way you pour drinks and cut off old drunk men really gets me going.”

“The only person I’ve cut off was Fangs,” I laughed, starting to pull away from him to get back to work. “Since when is he a drunk old man?”

Sweet Pea shrugged and held me tighter. “Okay, maybe he’s not that old.  Point still stands, though—you look seriously hot while you’re bartending, babe, and you’re required to make out with me at midnight.”

“That’s in like thirty seconds.”

“Guess we should start now.” He leaned in to press his lips into mine. “I love you, babe,” he murmured.

“Love you too.”

Around us, people started the countdown, cheering, blowing horns, and using whatever noisemakers they could find.  All I could focus on, though, was Sweet Pea—the way his arms were tight around me, the way his lips were parting mine.  Kissing him never got old, and I hoped it never would.  We broke apart just as the countdown hit zero.

“Happy New Year, Sweet Pea.”


	10. Fangs: “Just pick an outfit so we can go. I mean, it’s just a New Year’s party, it’s not a black-tie event.”

I stood in front of the mirror, cringing when I saw the way the silky material of the dress hit my hips. “Absolutely not,” I muttered, yanking down the zipper and tossing the dress onto the bed with the rest of the rejects.

Fangs walked into the bedroom, and his jaw dropped. “Babe, what the hell?”

I shot him a hard glare and started digging through the closet again. “What?” I snapped.

He gestured wildly at the bed. “Why is our bed covered with every dress you own?”

“It’s not _every_ dress,” I replied, not bothering to look back at him. “Just all the ones I’ve tried on so far.”

 _“So far?_   You mean there’s more?”

“Of course, there’s more—you don’t think I plan to go to the party in a bra and spandex, do you?”

He shrugged and walked up behind me to wrap his arms around my waist and tug my hips back into his. “I don’t know, babe, I wouldn’t mind.”

I rolled my eyes and selected another dress—a simple black one with a little sparkle. “Shut up, Fangs.”  I wiggled out of his grasp. “You have it easy—all you had to do was put on a suit.”

“True.” He sat back on the bed to watch amusedly as I attempted to wriggle into the tight dress. “But I did have to shower and shave, too.  Oh, and I had to style my hair.”

I got the dress on and shot him another glare. “I hate you right now.”

“I know.” With a grin, he hopped off the bed to help me with the zipper.  When he got it to the top, he pressed a soft kiss into the exposed skin between my shoulder blades. “Now, what do you think of this dress?”

I looked at myself in the mirror, and I had to admit it wasn’t bad.  Especially standing next to Fangs in his black suit, I looked pretty good.  Then, I saw the awkward way it was starting to bunch up on my stomach. “I don’t know, Fangs…”

**“Babe,** **just pick an outfit so we can go. I mean, it’s just a New Year’s party, it’s not a black-tie event.”**

“It’s also the first time I’m meeting all your friends,” I replied, turning to face him and wrapping my arms around his shoulders.

“Not _all_ of them,” he argued. “You’ve met Sweet Pea.”

“Okay, yeah, but not Toni and Cheryl and Jughead and Betty and Joaquin and Kevin.”

“And I’m sure they’ll love you regardless of what dress you’re wearing.” He smiled softly, tucking a loose lock of hair behind my ear. “And personally, I think you look absolutely gorgeous in this one.”

“You’re just saying that so I don’t try anymore.”

“How many more can you possibly have?”

“I dunno.” I shrugged. “Like, at least three.”

He ran his hands down my hips to my butt, squeezing tightly and pulling me into him. “Well, I don’t see how any can top this.”

“Fangs,” I giggled, slapping him weakly on the shoulder. “Stop.”

“No way, beautiful.” He started kissing down my neck just light enough to make it tickle. “The only way you’d look better than in that dress is in nothing at all, and I don’t think that would be super appropriate for meeting my friends.”

“Are you kidding?  I always try to meet my boyfriend’s friends completely in the nude.  I find it very freeing.”

He rolled his eyes, pressing a kiss into my forehead. “You’re so full of shit.  So, are we ready to go?”

“Yup, I just need to pick out shoes.” I slipped out of his grip and opened the closet door to look at the shoe rack on the back. “Which ones do you think I should go with?”

“You’ve got to be kidding me.”

* * *

 

“No, Fangs, really, she’s clearly too good for you,” Joaquin mused, taking a sip from his champagne. “I mean, look at her.  I’m gay, and I can see that.”

“Ha, ha,” Fangs said, wrapping his arm around my waist. “What can I say, though?  I’m clearly a lucky guy.” He looked down at his phone. “And it’s almost midnight, so I think we need a little more champagne.”

Taking my hand, he led us back to the bar and got us each a new glass of champagne.  Smiling, I left mine on the bar and wrapped my arms around him. “Thanks so much for inviting me tonight, Fangs.  Everyone has been absolutely amazing.”

“Of course, they have—I told you they’d love you, babe.  Not as much as I love you, of course, but still—”

Around us, everyone started counting down, and Fangs and I joined in, not looking away from each other.  When we hit one, he grinned. “So, do I get my midnight kiss?”

“Absolutely.”  With my heels on, I didn’t even need to stand up on my tiptoes to kiss him.  He held my waist tightly, kissing me for a little longer than was probably appropriate, and then we broke apart, still smiling.

“You know, I think I want to spend a lot of New Year’s with you,” he said, his brown eyes fixed on mine.

“I couldn’t agree more.”


	11. Bughead: “I need your help. I want to kiss Betty at midnight, and I need you to help me make it happen.”

**“Guys, I need your help.  I want to kiss Betty at midnight, and I need you to help me make it happen.”**

Jughead’s friends all froze.  Sweet Pea had a beer bottle halfway to his lips, and he started shaking his head.

“What the hell are you talking about, Jones?”

“Betty.  Betty Cooper.  I really want to kiss her at midnight, but I need you guys to help me—she’s been attached at the hips to her friends all night.”

“And what do you expect us to do about that?” Fangs asked, giving him a skeptical look.

“I dunno, maybe be a distraction?  Like, Toni can distract Cheryl, Fangs, you can distract Kevin, and—um—Sweet Pea can—”

“I swear to God, Jones, if you want me to be responsible for distracting Veronica Lodge, I’m going to snap you in half.”

Jughead gulped hard, looking between Toni and Fangs pleadingly. “C’mon, guys, you know how much I like Betty, and a New Year’s kiss would be, like, the absolutely perfect way to make this a real relationship.”

Toni sighed. “I suppose I can help you out.  I mean, Cheryl and me have been getting closer since I joined the River Vixens, and I think I could keep her occupied for the next—” She pulled out her phone to check the time. “Ten minutes or so.”

“Yes, perfect,” Jughead said, his grin widening. “And Fangs?”

Fangs rolled his eyes and nodded. “Yeah, I can distract Kevin.”

Then, all three of them turned to Sweet Pea.  He had crossed his arms over his chest and was looking down at them with a steely gaze.

“No way, Jones.  No chance in hell.  It’s Veronica fucking Lodge.”

“Yeah, yeah, it is, but just think of it, man.  She’s hot, you’re hot.  Her and Archie just broke up, and you’ve been single forever.  It would be the perfect midnight kiss.”

“Kiss?  I thought I just had to distract her?”

“Well, yeah, but I imagine your lips would be perfect for the job.”

Sweet Pea lunged forward, and Fangs nearly had to tackle him to hold him back. “Relax, man!”

He let out a string of muttered curse words, adjusting his leather coat. “Fine.”

“Wait, really?” Jughead’s eyes widened.

“Really, man.  But you’re going to owe me big time, and I’m absolutely not kissing her.”

“Deal!” Jughead looked about ready to jump for joy. “Awesome, yes!  Thank you, guys, so much.”

“No big, Jones,” Toni said, smiling fondly as she gripped his shoulder. “Let’s get you your girl.”

* * *

 

Within minutes, Toni and Fangs had accomplished their goals.  Toni and Cheryl were sitting on the couch, some fruity punch in hand as they got closer and closer with every passing minute.  Fangs had done well, too.  Sweet Pea had no idea where he and Kevin had gone off to, but he had a distinct feeling that they were going to be doing a bit more than kissing when midnight rolled around.  Sweet Pea, however, was still standing with Jughead, and the minutes were ticking down faster than seemed possible.

“C’mon, dude, you need to make a move,” Jughead said as they watched Betty and Veronica from afar. “I’ve only got like six minutes.”

“Fine,” he groaned.  Steeling himself, Sweet Pea walked over to the girls, putting on his most charming smile. “Hey there.”

Veronica looked up at him, her eyebrows furrowing in confusion. “Sweet Pea, what do you want?”

He ignored her tone and pressed forward. “Well, I—um—I was wondering if you—ah, fuck it.  Look, Lodge, you’re mad at Andrews, and I’ve never liked the guy, and while it may be a low blow, nothing gets a guy going like seeing his girl with the guy he hates.  So, how do you feel about using me to get him a little worked up?”

Betty’s jaw had dropped, and Veronica was looking at him like he had just propositioned her to go kill puppies together.

“You mean, like, kiss you at midnight?”

Sweet Pea couldn’t hide his grimace. “I’d really rather not, but we could sure make it look good.”

She paused and glanced over her shoulder to see Archie leaning into Josie, a drink in hand. “It’s deal. Let’s do it, string bean.” She grabbed his hand and dragged him into the crowd, leaving a confused Betty behind.

From across the room, Jughead hadn’t heard what Sweet Pea said.  All that mattered was that it worked.  Straightening his beanie, he walked over to the side of the room where Betty was now standing with a puzzled look on her face.

“Hey, Betts.”

“Hey, Jughead,” she replied, her expression shifting to a soft smile. “I didn’t think I’d see you tonight—I thought parties weren’t your thing.”

“Eh, they’re not.” He glanced around and noticed that all his friends were back in the room, and all of them were giving him encouraging looks.  Toni even shot him a little thumbs-up.  Jughead returned his gaze to Betty. “I suppose I had to come and see you, though.”

“Me?” she asked, a light pink blush creeping into her cheeks. “What do you mean, Juggie?”

Jughead shrugged, hoping his nerves weren’t showing. “Oh, you know, New Year’s and all that.”

Betty smirked now, gaining confidence as Jughead seemed to get more nervous.  She had been secretly hoping that he would show up tonight, that he would come to the party for her even though he didn’t really want to. “Oh, New Year’s and all that?  What’s that mean?”

The room suddenly got louder as the countdown began.  Ten seconds.  Jughead had ten seconds to work up the courage to make his move.

“Oh, um—”

Five seconds.

She just looked so perfect, smiling at him in the flashing lights of the party.  Her hair was down, and he was amazed that she could somehow be even more beautiful.

Three seconds.

He was blushing, Betty noticed.  The usually stoic, sarcastic Jughead Jones was blushing.  She moved her hand to his shoulder, and his hand was on her waist.

One second.

Everything disappeared around them.  As the room erupted in cheers, it was somehow completely silent other than the sounds of their beating hearts.  Neither of them knew who leaned in first, but suddenly, they were kissing.  They were clinging to each other now, each of them trying to get impossibly close to the other.  The lines between them seemed to blur, and everything was absolutely perfect.

Finally, they broke apart, and neither could contain their smiles.

“Wow, Juggie, that was—wow.”

Jughead laughed, not ready to let go of her. “Happy New Year, Betty Cooper.”

“Happy New Year, Jughead Jones.” She couldn’t contain her excited grin. “I’m starting to think 2019 might be the best year yet.”

“It depends, can we do that again?”

“Absolutely.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks so much for reading! If you enjoyed this, feel free to check out my other works or my tumblr blog!
> 
> Requests accepted at http://southsidewrites.tumblr.com


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